As one of the leading specialists on aging athletes in the United States, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright wants to change the way we think about aging.
"To just accept that at some arbitrary age, the light switch goes off and we become old, is completely unfounded," she said. "
As an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in working with masters athletes, Wright believes it is her responsibility to help the senior population become more active as a way to stave off injury later on.
"As the gatekeepers of mobility, I think we shouldn't limit ourselves to only fixing people in the green room, because by keeping people active and by maintaining mobility, we save peoples lives," Wright said.
Wright founded the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to help provide services to anyone over 40 interested in increasing or maintaining their athletic performance.
PRIMA Start: A 12-week program that helps adults progress toward an active lifestyle. Through lecture sessions, coaching and physical activity, participants work toward the goal of running or walking in a 5K race at the end of three months, and learn the skills they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. ($300 for 12 weeks)
PRIMA Athlete: This program is designed to help elite athletes over the age of 40 increase their performance levels. Each athlete benefits from nutrition and mental coaching, assessment and monitoring of their fitness levels, goes through a personalized program designed specifically for their needs. ($1,200 for six months)
For more information, go to: www.vondawright.com
Wright has also authored two books on how to stay active after the age of 40. The following excerpt is from her first book.
Reasons for Exercising
(Adapted from "Fitness After 40: How to Stay Strong At Any Age" by Vonda Wright, M.D., 2009. $17.95,)
What you already know. Exercise:
1. Improves your cardiovascular health
2. Lowers your risk of developing diabetes
3. Lowers your blood pressure and the work your heart has to do.
4. Increases the level of "good cholesterol" in your blood, while lowering the level of "bad cholesterol" and prevents the bad stuff from sticking to the sides of your blood vessels.
5. The ill effects of more than 35 chronic diseases known collectively as Sedentary Death Syndrome can be directly decreased by 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Amazing things you may not know.
1. Exercise makes a type of Miracle-Gro for the brain: when exercising, your brain makes a type of brain food. And studies have found that active people are more likely to be better adjusted and perform better on tests of cognitive function because of this exercise-induced "brain food."
2. After a stressful day, exercise can calm and improve your mood. Exercise causes the brain to release endorphins, natural mood elevators. People who exercise are 1.5 times less likely to be depressed. They also have higher self-confidence and self-esteem.
3. Erectile dysfunction: for the same reasons exercise is good for your heart, exercise is great for sexual function. Physiologically, erection is all about healthy blood flow, and men who exercise have been found to have 41 percent less erectile dysfunction than those who sit on the couch.
4. Immune function and sickness: Studies have shown the people who do moderate exercise on a near daily basis experience fewer sick days.
5. Cancer prevention: Exercise can decrease the risk of breast cancer by up to 60 percent by lowering levels of two of the ovarian hormones linked to breast cancer. Exercise can also decrease the risk of colorectal cancer by 40 percent, and decrease the risk of dying from prostate cancer by 50 percent.